April 5, 2012

I’m trying to be more consistent blogging, I really am. The only problem is that, with my eclectic blog, I find myself wondering just what I should write about. I don’t want to dive into a dystopian book review; I’ll save that for a day when my brain isn’t running on steam. But, when in doubt, I feel it wise to return to the namesake for my blog . . . Cats.

I love cats. I love cats because you can’t expect a cat to be obedient.

"Just try and make me listen!"

I love cats because of their rebel spirits; they will sit on the table or, better yet, on any clean laundry they can find. I love their innate ability to differentiate between cat lovers and cat haters, and how they will love on the cat haters. Even my cat, my grouchy cat who hates the world in general and children in particular, will turn into a purring sweetheart in the presence of a cat hater. They just seem to know . . . .

"Would yah quit talking and just feed me???"

And, I love their attraction to boxes. Hey, that’s how this blog got its name!

~At this point there is no comment . . . Grooming is a very absorbing occupation.

April 3, 2012

For all you primary source lovers/WWII buffs out there, you should read this from the WW2 People’s War archives. It’s an account of the ordinary life of one young woman in England during and after World War II. She worked in a small shop, though she did apply for the Land Army. It seems that, at 18, she was considered too old to join! I love the way that she remembers and carefully explains some of the small details of everyday life. (One prime example is how the currency system worked.) I hope that you enjoy this resource as much as I did. And have fun in the archives; I love reading through the different stories.

April 1, 2012

I got to see this two weeks ago; I love Seattle! It was my first time (going as a baby doesn’t count, does it?). Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed everything, especially Pike Place Market. So, that explains why I didn’t blog last week . . . I have to say that I was thrilled with the success of my Hunger Games post. That post received the most traffic and likes/comments of anything I have ever written. It was hard trying to think of a follow-up. Especially since I haven’t watched the Hunger Games movie. I haven’t. I know, I know: it’s supposed to be good, it stuck to the book, Katniss is more likeable (that is a really good selling point for me!), but still, I haven’t watched it. Partly it’s because life has been so busy. But honestly, I don’t want to see it. I’ve read the book, I know what happens. I just don’t want to see it, I don’t want to see Rue die. I don’t want to watch the mutts attacking Cato. I don’t want to see Katniss killing people. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the concept of violence. I love the Lord of the Rings movies, that has to count! I really enjoy Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, but that’s different. I just don’t want to see the images I have read in the Hunger Games. I’d really rather just leave them in print.

Speaking of dystopia, I read Divergent on my trip back from Seattle. I really enjoyed it, and I’ll be reviewing it sometime in the near future. I think it still raises some issues for Christian readers, but I like the tone much better than Hunger Games. I think Veronica Roth captures humanity much better than Suzanne Collins. Also, I like Beatrice Prior (issues and all) much more than Katniss Everdeen!

What else to write? Oh yes! Last week, while holding down the fortress, I rediscovered one of my favorite read-aloud series . . .

Freddy the Pig. I LOVE the Freddy series! If you are in need of a read-aloud, choose Freddy. After dealing with bleak dystopia, Freddy offers such a healthy dose of reality! Each book in the series relates the adventures of Freddy the pig, and the other animals who live on the Bean farm. These animals are special; they can talk. They each have wonderful personalities, with strengths and weaknesses just like humans. Jinx, the black cat, has to be one of my favorite characters. He is sarcastic and a bit of a braggart, but a loyal friend. (For the record, I named my first cat Jinx.) Walter R. Brooks is a wonderful author, and the vocabulary used in Freddy is excellent. All in all, it is one of my all-time favorite series. It is one that an adult can enjoy; there are times when it has me laughing so hard I can hardly keep reading. Thankfully my younger siblings are forgiving and will laugh with me till I can manage to keep reading.

I think that’s all for now. Please forgive the rambling nature of this post; I hope you were able to glean something from all of it!

Comment time! What do you think about the Hunger Games movie? Is there anyone out there who has my reservations? And what do you think of Divergent compared to Hunger Games? Or . . . kudos point if you decide to comment about Freddy the Pig; I’d take Freddy over dystopia any day!